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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · pop · shower · rush · row · arm · lash · mine

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. row — a line
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pop — soda
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mine — for digging
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rush — hurry
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pop — music
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com